&#34;Cleaner Earth Bags&#34; PURSE, HANDBAG OR TOTE WITH COMPARTMENT HOLDING MATICHING REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS

ABSTRACT

A purse, handbag or tote with a compartment for carrying eco-friendly shopping bags, the bags having a design which matches some design element of the purse such as the lining or the logo.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a purse, handbag or tote and more particularly to such an item with a compartment for eco-friendly, reusable shopping bags which are formed with a design which matches any design element of the purse, handbag or tote, such as the lining or the logo.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Eco-friendly, reusable shopping bags to replace paper and plastic grocery bags have become the norm. The bags are used and re-used by the customer to take groceries and other household items from the store to home. Until now the number one complaint by consumers about using reusable shopping bags is that they tend to forget to bring them when they shop. What has been lacking is a convenient way to store and carry the bags while they are not in use that will overcome that main objection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Most female and many male shoppers invariably carry a purse, handbag or tote. The present invention provides a purse, handbag or tote which is provided with a compartment to hold rolled up or folded eco-friendly, reusable, bags. To lend a stylish feature to the combination and to encourage use, the bags are made in a manner that matches some design element of the purse, handbag or tote, for instance the lining is constructed of matching or fashionably coordinated material or the bags are printed displaying the logo of the product designer or manufacturer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

A better understanding of the present invention can be had upon reference to the included drawing in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A purse 10 is shown in the photographs as including an inner lining 12 and an outer compartment 14 for holding a number of rolled up or folded eco-friendly, reusable, shopping bags 16. The bags 16 can be removed from the compartment 14 at the point of use to avoid the use of the paper or plastic bags that are usually provided by grocery stores or other retail establishments. Once used the bags 16 can again be rolled up or folded and placed again in the compartment 14 of the purse 10.

The purse 10 provides a convenient way to carry the bags 16 so that they are available when needed. In the example given, by using matching or fashionably coordinated materials for the lining 12 of the purse 10 and the bags 16, the combination will be likely to be more attractive to consumers, manufacturers and designers and therefore more likely to be available when needed and therefore more likely to be used which will reduce the number of plastic or paper bags being taken by consumers and ultimately sent to landfills.

While the present invention has been described as including a ladies purse as part of the inventive combination it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention includes other means for carrying the eco-friendly bags such as men's purses and men and ladies handbags or totes each having a compartment for the bags. 

1. In combination a handbag, that is primarily designed to conveniently hold personal items that might be needed by the user from time to time such as wallet, money, credit cards, makeup, keys, cell phone, etc, provided with an inner lining and a compartment and at least one eco-friendly bag carried in said compartment.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said lining and said eco-friendly bag are of a matching design.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said handbag exterior and said eco-friendly bag are of a matching design.
 4. The combination as defined in claim 1 and including a plurality of said eco-friendly bags and said bags and said lining and/or handbag exterior are of a matching design.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said handbag is a ladies purse.
 6. The combination as defined claim 1 and in which said handbag is a men's purse.
 7. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said handbag is a tote.
 8. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which the eco-friendly bag includes the logo of the designer of the handbag.
 9. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which the said compartment holding the eco-friendly bag is accessed from the exterior of the handbag.
 10. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which the said compartment holding the eco-friendly bag is accessed from the interior of the handbag.
 11. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which the said handbag does not have a lining but holds the eco-friendly bag in an interior pocket.
 12. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which the said handbag does not have a lining but holds the eco-friendly bag in an exterior pocket. 